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At least 181 records · Page 10

Evaporation from superfluid helium

Velocity distribution of atoms evaporating from superfluid He II at low temperatures, noting roton shifting and multiexcitation processes

Hyman, D. S.↗

A superfluid plug for space

Liquid He containment in space zero-g environment, proposing use of high thermal conductivity porous plug operating in superfluid regime

Everitt, C. W. F.↗

Experiments on the properties of superfluid helium in zero gravity

The paper describes a research program designed to study the behavior of superfluid liquid helium in low and zero gravity in order to determine the properties which are critically important to its use as a stored cryogen for cooling scientific instruments aboard spacecraft for periods up to several months. The experiment program consists of a series of flights of an experiment package on a free-fall trajectory both on an aircraft and on a rocket. The objectives are to study thickness of thin films of helium as a function of acceleration, heat transfer in thin films, heat transfer across copper-liquid helium interfaces, fluid dynamics of bulk helium in high and low accelerations and under various conditions of rotations, alternate methods of separation of liquid and vapor phases and of efficient venting of the vapor, and undesirable thermomechanical oscillations in the vent pipes. Preliminary results from aircraft tests are discussed.

Mason, P.↗

Design of a one-year lifetime, spaceborne superfluid helium dewar

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite is an Explorer Mission and a joint venture of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States scheduled for launch into earth orbit in 1981. The cryogenic system is a major part of the satellite; it incorporated many unique and state-of-the-art design features to satisfy the requirements of a one-year orbital lifetime, a focal plane temperature less than 4K, minimal launch weight, and zero-gravity operation. The 60-centimeter diameter telescope is contained within a superfluid helium dewar having a capacity of 540 liters. The telescope aperture cover employs an independent cryogenic system containing a 54-liter supercritical helium tank. The aperture cover, which is ejected two weeks after launch, protects the telescope from contamination and provides the low-temperature background needed to perform focal plane health checks. Design and predicted performance of the cryogenic systems are discussed in detail.

Hopkins, R. A.↗

Superfluid helium film in zero gravity

The behaviour of nearly-saturated superfluid helium films several hundred Angstroms thick was investigated under zero gravity conditions in a small cryostat carried on a 0.3 m diameter, 3 m long sounding rocket, using a quartz microbalance technique. The flight provided 30 s of high acceleration, about 5 min. of zero gravity, and 90 s of mg acceleration. The temperature of the experiment ranged from 1.67 to 2.15 K. In contrast to ground test results, thick films uniformly distributed on all surfaces were observed in zero gravity.

Yang, L. C.↗

Superfluid helium leak sealant study

Twenty-one leak specimens were fabricated in the ends of stainless steel and aluminum tubes. Eighteen of these tubes were coated with a copolymer material to seal the leak. The other three specimens were left uncoated and served as control specimens. All 21 tubes were cold shocked in liquid helium 50 times and then the leak rate was measured while the tubes were submerged in superfluid helium at 1.7 K. During the cold shocks two of the coated specimens were mechanically damaged and eliminated from the test program. Of the remaining 16 coated specimens one suffered a total coating failure and resulting high leak rate. Another three of the coated specimens suffered partial coating failures. The leak rates of the uncoated specimens were also measured and reported. The significance of various leak rates is discussed in view of the infrared astronomical satellite (IRAS) Dewar performance.

Vorreiter, J. W.↗

Production of 1.25 K He-4 without He-4 superfluid film

A refrigeration process is described which enables the production of a sub-gamma-point He-4 temperatures without the production of superfluid. The advantages of the process for zero gravity and low-noise refrigeration are described. The lowest temperature produced to date is 1.25 K. The process is also useful with other gases for refrigeration; the output temperature is selected by gas type.

Goebel, J. H.↗

Characterization of superfluid helium transfer

The friction factor and steady state flow rate of superfluid helium (He II) are measured, with the driving pressure difference generated by the saturated vapor pressure and a small hydrostatic pressure head. The temperature ranged from 1.5 K to the transition temperature of 2.17 K. Three different lengths and two different internal diameters were used for the stainless steel transfer tubes, and the transfer of liquid helium (He I) was investigated with the same apparatus for comparison. It was found that the friction factor of He II is greater than that of He I for pressure differences greater than 20 mm Hg, and smaller below that magnitude.

Yang, L. C.↗

Nonlinear interactions in superfluid dynamics: Nonstationary heat transfer due to second sound shock waves

Second sound techniques were used to study superfluid helium. Second sound shock waves produced relative velocities in the bulk fluid. Maximum counterflow velocities produced in this way are found to follow the Langer-Fischer prediction for the fundamental critical velocity in its functional dependence on temperature and pressure. Comparison of successive shock and rotating experiments provides strong evidence that breakdown results in vorticity production in the flow behind the shock. Schlieren pictures have verified the planar nature of second sound shocks even after multiple reflections. The nonlinear theory of second sound was repeatedly verified in its prediction of double shocks and other nonlinear phenomena.

Liepmann, H. W.↗

Orbital performance of a one-year lifetime superfluid helium dewar based on ground testing and computer modelling

The ground-test results of the 550-liter superfluid-He dewar built for IRAS are presented and discussed, and a computer projection of its orbital performance life is developed. The ground-testing program included flow-swap, cold-flow, power-off, hot/cold-viewport, and strap-thermal-efficiency tests. After one set of trials, some design changes were made, and the thermal-network computer model of the system was modified as well. The driving boundary conditions of dewar orbital operation used in this model are vacuum-shell temperature = 170 K, aperture heating = 8.0 mW, and focal-plane power dissipation = 16.2 mW. An operational lifetime of 319 days and an He loss rate of 2.54 mg/sec are predicted.

Hopkins, R. A.↗

A Report on Superfluid Helium Flow Through Porous Plugs for Space Science Applications

As a background for the study of the nature of superfluid helium flow through porous plugs for other space science uses, preliminary tests on various plugs of a given material, diameter, height, and filtration grade have been performed. Two characteristics of the plugs, pore size and number of channels, have been determined by the bubble test and warm flow test of helium gas through the plugs, respectively. Tests on the flow of He II through the plugs have also been performed. An obvious feature of the results of these tests is that for isothermal measurements of pressure versus mass flow rate below approximately 2.10 K, the flow is separated into two different regimes, indicative of the occurrence of a critical phenomenon.

Mason, F. C.↗

Design of the superfluid helium dewar for the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE)

Design features of the 664-liter superfluid helium dewar to be used for the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) are described, with emphasis on the similarities and differences vis a vis the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) dewar. The dewar (23 percent larger than the IRAS dewar) is intended to provide a 14-month operating lifetime (vs. 10 months for IRAS). A far infrared absolute spectrophotometer (FIRAS) and diffuse infrared background experiment (DIRBE) will conduct full sky surveys over the wavelength region from 1 micron to 1 centimeter. Launch into a 900-km sun-synchronous polar orbit is scheduled for the autumn of 1987.

Hopkins, R. A.↗

Measured ground performance and predicted orbital performance of the superfluid helium dewar for the Cosmic Background Explorer

A critical component of the Cosmic Background Explorer observatory, which is to be lifted to orbit in 1988, is the 650-l superfluid He dewar housing a far-IR absolute spectrophotometer and a diffuse IR background experiment. Attention is presently given to the results of a four-month-long test program encompassing dewar filling verification, vibration characteristics, thermal performance over orbital lifetime, and aperture cover ejection behavior. No significant flaws have been noted; the orbital cryogen lifetime is projected to be 14 months.

Hopkins, Richard A.↗